Mother Of Slain CU Student Still Hopes For Trial, Conviction

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) – The mother of a local man who was gunned down in an Arapahoe County neighborhood nearly three years ago says she is still hoping for a trial and a conviction.

A grand jury just released its findings in the case of 23-three-year old Andrew Graham. Although law enforcement did have several suspects, the grand jury didn’t find enough evidence to charge anyone for his death.

Graham’s mother, Cyndi Graham, says even though her son’s case is now a cold one, there’s still hope of getting it before a judge and jury. One idea is to re-present the case to the new district attorney after this fall’s election to get a fresh pair of eyes to review it.

Despite the grand jury’s findings, the case can be presented again with or without new evidence.

“There is still a chance that Andrew will be treated with the respect that he deserves, that anyone whose life has been taken in this way deserves,” Cyndi Graham said. “So there is still hope that this will happen. But if it doesn’t I’m trying to think about that possibility and try to come to terms with that possibility.”

Andrew Graham was an engineering graduate from the University of Colorado. He was walking home from a light rail station in Centennial when he was gunned down in a neighborhood yard on Nov. 5 or just after midnight on Nov 6.

Police had identified three suspects at one time along with information that Andrew Graham’s murder was a racially motivated gang shooting.

“The case really is to protect the public, not to just get justice for Andrew, because the only justice for Andrew would be to get his life back which isn’t going to happen,” Cyndi Graham said. “But to protect the public from these people because if they get away with it or don’t even get brought to trial, or put up on charges, then that just emboldens them to do it again to someone else.”

The grand jury report says that witnesses recanted their previous statements to police and changed their stories. Some told the jury that what they knew came from rumors, hearsay, and assumptions. There is hardly any physical evidence in the case to definitively point to the person who pulled the trigger.